Nigerian Afrobeats sensation D’banj has disclosed that his legal team has reached out to American music icon Marc Anthony over the unauthorized sampling of his 2012 hit, Oliver Twist.
Marc Anthony is said to have sampled Oliver Twist in the title track of his 2024 album, Muevense, without seeking prior permission. Speaking in a recent interview with Adesope Live, D’banj shared that while he was initially thrilled to see a music legend draw inspiration from his work, the lack of clearance compelled him to take legal action.
“Marc Anthony sampling my track was one of the biggest highlights of last year for me,” D’banj said. “His album dropped with the first track and title being a Latin rendition of Oliver Twist. When I heard it, I was excited at first—just thinking, ‘Wow, this is Marc Anthony!’”
He continued, “But from a business standpoint, my legal team had to get involved. He didn’t get clearance before releasing it. It was put out officially as the lead single and album title. I’ve been blessed—God truly works in mysterious ways.”
D’banj emphasized that while his legal representatives are now managing the issue, he still respects Marc Anthony as an artist. “That’s the beauty of the digital age. The song is already out, and we’re handling things legally. I still admire Marc, but we need to sort things out properly.”